A child's entry into special education services can occur through referrals made from many different sources. It's a long, tedious process that helps ensure every child receives the services they need. This plan is called an IEP (Individualized Education Program). This process and plan reflects the old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The first step in placing a child in the special education program begins in the general education classroom. A teacher may notice behaviors or delays in a student that need to be addressed. Parents may also have requested that the student be referred and evaluated for special education services. The teacher will then begin a pre-referral phase which is an informal process of observing and documenting the student. The purpose of this phase is to document and explain the difficulties and challenges the student may encounter. Typically, teachers and family members work together to see if problems can be resolved in the general education classroom. The teacher can receive help from special education teachers to make basic accommodations and systematically differentiate teaching methods. This phase also allows you to avoid unnecessary evaluations and positioning. If the student still has learning difficulties and difficulties after this phase, he or she is referred to the special education department and the next phase of evaluating the child begins. Parental consent is required before the child can be evaluated. The assessment must be completed within a reasonable time after the parent gives consent. Once the student is referred to the special education department and consent is given, then a formal assessment begins to be seen… halfway through the paper… is followed. Parents and each teacher receive a copy of the IEP so that specific details about carrying out the IEP are available to everyone. At this point the child's IEP must be reviewed annually by the IEP team. This is the time when established goals are reviewed and new ones are established. In addition to this annual review, the student is re-evaluated at least every three years. This review determines whether the student is still considered eligible for services as defined by IDEA and whether the child's educational needs are different than before. The process of placing a child in special education is not an easy task. However, seeing the benefits of having a child tailored specifically to their educational needs is something amazing. Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and this is one way that as a teacher I hope to make that happen.